A History of India (Blackwell History of the World)

A History of India (Blackwell History of the World)

I am a professional history teacher who bought this book while looking for a good, scholarly, substantial, one-volume history of India. It was a waste of $40. The author was an American Marxist historian who, while he taught in a British university, maintains throughout a virulently anti-British drumbeat. He even manages to drag digs at the British into discussions of India in the 7th. century. It becomes very tedious. He also focuses heavily on the history of southern India, his preferred area of study, while minimizing coverage of some important areas of northern history.

In many cases, he is so fixated on arguing specific points-of-view, he fails to give a full picture of the civilization he is supposedly describing. He talks about the conquest of the Gupta empire, for example, and discusses social changes during that period; but doesn't pause to tell the reader anything about Gupta culture and achievements. Later, he repeats the accusations against Warren Hastings, gives absolutely NO description of Hastings' actions as Governor-General, but makes clear his assumption that Hastings was guilty by a bitter little reference to his suicide.

In short, steer clear of this book. I wish I had my $40 back to buy something else. I am still looking for that scholarly and trustworthy history of India. This is not it.

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